Winsted-Lester Prairie Journal, Jan. 10, 2000

Coin toss decides new chair for LP school board

A coin toss was the deciding measure that made board member
Chester Hoernemann chairperson for 2000 at Monday's re-organizational meeting
of the Lester Prairie School Board.

Both Hoernemann and Board Member Gene Starke were nominated
for the position, but an initial vote ended in a tie, a first in his tenure
with the school district said, Dr. James Redfield.

At that point, the candidates were put on the spot to make
a brief statement about how they would handle the responsibility of being
chair.

Hoernemann said he would like to add an additional meeting
during the school year and somehow split the meetings between curriculum,
and funding and building issues. He also said he wanted to see a flat rate
paid to board members, as they are members 365 days of the year.

Furthermore, he solicited the board to give him six ideas
on what they would like to see him do as chair to represent the entire board.
He also emphasized teamwork and the need for teachers to make direct reports
to the board on curriculum.

Starke said that the past year as chair had been a learning
experience for him, and admitted that "things have and haven't gone
so well." He agreed that the board needed the extra meeting, particularly
to go over curriculum with teachers.

He also cited a need for more unity on the board and the
need to communicate with each other.

However, after a second vote, the tie still held. Ultimately,
a coin toss was proposed and heads came up, Hoernemann's call.

As such, the meeting was handed over to Hoernemann, who
nominated Starke as vice-chair to unanimous approval.

In other elections, Nancy Krull was voted clerk and Barry
Kyllo treasurer.

A second meeting per month during the school year was added.
The board will meet the first Tuesday and third Monday of the month at 6
p.m. During the summer, it will only meet on the third Monday.

However, a proposed pay change by Hoernemann of $100 per
month for any business within the district, and previous rates and mileage
for outside of the district was not approved when board members agreed that
the change would cost the district more money.

Board members will continue to be paid at a rate of $30
for up to three hours, $75 for three to six hours, and $105 for more than
six hours of work. The chair will receive an extra $10 per meeting. The
clerk will receive an extra $500 per year and the treasurer $250 per year.

Much of the board's other organizational votes remained
the same as the previous years, with First Community Bank of Lester Prairie
and the Minnesota School District Liquid Asset Fund Plus as official depositories
for the district.

The district's legal publication remained the Prairie Ad-News
and William Partridge was named the legal services provider. The existing
policy handbook was also approved, as well as most board committee assignments.

The exception was that new board member Bob Remer took
over most of the assignments from Murl Kletscher. Remer was elected in November
to the retiring member's position.

In discussing appointments to committees, Board Member
Fred Blaser emphasized the need to be informed of time and locations of
the committee meetings. He noted that such notification had not occurred
in the past and said, "You might as well take my name off of all of
(the board assignments)" if notification was not provided. He added
that without that information, the board would be wasting his, the school
district's and the community's time.